“If something’s worth doing, then it’s worth doing right.”
Being a criminal defense attorney is something that I was born to do, and I have spent my whole life working towards being able to do this job and do it right. I was born in the small town of Sinton, Texas and grew up in the courtroom, literally. It all started with my father, another great defense attorney, who took me to court as a little kid to watch him in trial. My weekends, holidays, and spring breaks were often spent going over cases with him and practicing opening and closing arguments. It was here, in the early years of my life, that I learned what true advocacy means. It was at this point that I knew I wanted to dedicate myself to defending the individual rights of the accused. In a system where innocence is presumed, any person who has actually been accused of a crime knows that this presumption can feel like an illusion. It is this very hurdle that makes criminal defense such an appealing area of law for me. I don’t see this as a challenge but as a duty to represent clients with the highest level of skill and dedication possible, and to uphold the Constitution by doing so.
After graduating from Sinton High School, I proudly began my education at Texas A&M university where I majored in Psychology. I had the opportunity while at Texas A&M to participate in the Public Policy Internship Program, where I was able to witness the federal lawmaking process firsthand, at both the legislative level through Congressional internships and the executive level through an internship with the Department of Justice. This only strengthened my desire and resolve to pursue criminal defense, to ensure that “We the People” are not unfairly taken advantage of in a legal system that was originally designed to protect their rights.
My education has always been about getting me to this point, representing people in the court of law during the lowest times of their lives. That is why, after graduating from A&M magna cu laude, I decided to attend A&M once again, this time at Texas A&M School of Law in Fort Worth. I was and continue to be inspired and motivated by the Texas A&M core values, specifically, the values of loyalty, excellence, and service to others. While in law school, I took my education extremely seriously because representing someone in their criminal case requires immense amounts of discipline. I tried to seize every opportunity to learn in and out of the classroom. I worked as a student attorney with the Innocence Project at Texas A&M, where I was able to learn the ins and outs of a criminal case from a post-conviction standpoint, and learned never to give up fighting for my clients’ innocence. I was also able to learn trial strategy from the prosecution side through my internship experience with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas in Dallas, as well as the Collin County District Attorney’s Office. Finally, I observed top-caliber criminal defense trial strategy at the federal level as an intern for the Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Northern District of Texas in Fort Worth. Now, as a licensed attorney, I am able to utilize these law school experiences to help me provide the highest caliber of service to my clients, no matter how complex their case may be.
After law school, I was very fortunate to work for the Hill Country Regional Public Defender Office where I handled hundreds of cases from beginning to end. My experience as a public defender involved multiple felony trials and post-conviction appeals where I fought hard for clients who had no one else to fight for them. My experience as a public defender has taught me never to stop fighting, even when the odds seem to be against my client and me. I sincerely believe that this is what defense attorneys like myself are called to do.
If you’re reading this, please understand that this has always been about you. It is understandable that you are scared. My job is to provide advice, guidance, and reassurance in this terrifying situation. Please be assured that I am not scared. I am more than prepared to fight for your freedom and your rights. I will leave no stone unturned, no legal defense unexplored, and will do whatever it takes to do my job and do it right. I will represent you exactly how I would want to be represented. No cutting corners, only hard work and grit. My entire life has led me to this point, and I am honored to represent you with respect, dignity, and the utmost zeal.
Awards
- Texas A&M University, magna cum laude, undergraduate research scholar
- Texas A&M University School of Law, cum laude, Order of Barristers, Secretary, Criminal Law Society